Fayemi seeks constitutional amendment

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has decried the flaws in the 1999 Constitution, saying it was foisted on the people by the military.

He said constitutional reviews since 1999 had been “unduly politicised” and failed to produce an authentic national document.

The governor spoke at a meeting between the states delegates to the national conference and stakeholders.

The pre-national conference consultative summit was held at the Bishop Abiodun Adetiloye Hall in Ado-Ekiti.

It was attended by rulers, religious leaders and representatives of communities, groups as well as associations.

Activist lawyer Mr. Femi Falana was also present.

Fayemi said the conference should evolve a people-oriented constitution that embodies the common aspirations of Nigerians. Stressing the need to review items on the concurrent, exclusive and residual lists, he said: “Nigeria has long been beset by a myriad of challenges. At present, the trend and tenor of our problems are alarming. The failure of the institutional machinery to steer this nation has left Nigerians disillusioned.

“The problems facing us as we struggle to create a sustainable democracy and an equitable future tend to generate fear and anxiety; and often threaten the union of the federating states.”

On resource control and fiscal federalism, Fayemi advocated the entrenchment of equity and justice, as well as stimulation of productivity with a functional resource control regime.

He said the responsibilities of federating states places strong financial burdens on them as against the imbalance in favour of the central government.

The governor said the sharing formula for the allocation of resources and revenue was lopsided, adding that oil producing states see non-oil producing states as parasites while the latter see the extra revenue accruable to the oil producing states based on derivation as an unnecessary indulgence.

He said the over-reliance of states on the Federal Government inhibits the development of states, explaining that the practice of a semi-unitary system under the guise of federalism was harmful to the nation’s progress.

Fayemi said: “Issues of national security, insurgency and terrorism should be handled by all tiers of government. This brings to mind the establishment of multi-level policing. Since national security is not an issue of peculiar interest and concern to the Federal Government, there should be room for policing to encompass a comprehensive security network for the wellbeing of the citizenry. I also hope that attention would be given to these issues during your deliberations.”

One of the delegates, Dr. Kunle Olajide, said the Yoruba do not intend to request secession, but it is expedient to discuss secession and tackle it in the interest of national unity.

Olajide, who also advocated a parliamentary system, called for the decentralisation of the country into regions.